FEBRUARY (sEcond) 2020 | 35Champak Creative Child Event 52 EDITORIAL, ADVERTISEMENT & PUBLICATION...

FEBRUARY (sEcond) 2020 |`35

Stages of Evolution

FOUNDERVISHWA NATH

1917-2002

Things to do

Comics

ThinkingCover PageThe theory of evolution by Charles Darwin, a geologist, tells us how we have evolved from common ancestors. Yet, Jumpy monkey crashes his theory.

Editor, Publisher & Printer: Paresh Nath

www.facebook.com/ChampakMagazine and https://www.youtube.com/user/ChampakSciQ

Storytime

FEbRUARY (SECOND) 2020 NO. 1016

Money Grown On A Tree 4

The Red Bicycle 7

Why The Bat Flies By Night 14

Tinu’s Boat 18

Celebrating Science 28

Hare And Tortoise Race Again 32

Behind The Wall 38

Appu learns A lesson 48

Going Home 55

Colour Me 6

Maze 11

Funtime 12

Sequence 16

That's Not Right 22

Float Or Sink 23

Who Am I? 26

Dot To Dot 27

Complete The Picture 31

Smart 36

Spot The Difference 43

Damru & Greeting Cards 13

Cheeku 24

Dadaji And International

Mother Language Day 46

SciQ–Make A Rain Cloud In A Jar 17

From Young Readers 44

Champak Creative Child Event 52

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“Money on a tree?” asked everyone. Blacky bear had been telling the animals

about this. They knew about flowers and fruits growing on trees, but this was the first time they’d heard someone mention trees on which money grew.

“I don’t believe a word of what Blacky said. He’s trying to fool us,” said Jumpy monkey.

“If he had asked us to get money, I’d have

thought that he was fooling us. But he is offering us such a tree in return for some help. Why do you think he’s playing a prank?” asked Dora.

Jumpy could not answer Dora. He decided to get a money tree and went to see Blacky.

“Though I hate even the thought of doing work, I should get this wonderful money tree. Then I’ll just relax and rest throughout my life,” thought Damru donkey.

Indrajith KaushikMoney Grown on a Tree

4

Behind Blacky’s house was a large plot of unused land that could be used as a farm but the land was uneven and full of gravel and stones. It needed a lot of work for it to be ready for farming. Blacky spoke to the animals in the forest about his farming idea. But most of the animals didn’t want to work, so nobody offered to help Blacky. That’s when he got this bright idea to offer money trees to all helpers!

Very soon, there was a long queue of animals at Blacky’s door. Blacky was excited to see them.

“If your promise turns out to be false, we’ll bury you right here in this ground. To get a tree on which money grows, we can dig not just this piece of land but the entire forest,” Zimba leopard roared.

“Stop worrying about that and quickly start working. We have very little time,” said Blacky, looking up at the cloudy sky.

The animals got out their spades and hoes and began digging. Some removed stones, while others made the surface smooth. The barren, rocky land became a smooth plot, fit for farming.

“Now you all may go home. After exactly two months, you’ll get your money trees,” Blacky thanked the animals and they left.

After they had gone, Blacky sowed seeds of

various fruits and vegetables in the soil. After some time, it started raining.

In a few weeks, the whole field was lush green. The grain was swaying in the wind and the place was full of fruits and vegetables.

Blacky took the harvest to the market and sold everything. He kept aside the money and waited. At the end of two months, the animals came to him. “Blacky, where are our money trees?” they asked impatiently.

“They are here, right in front of you. Why don’t you see for yourself ?” Blacky showed them the swaying plants. “And yes, money has already started growing on these trees. Here it is.”

Blacky distributed the profits he made by selling the crop. The animals now understood that the flowers and fruits that grew on trees are what got converted into money trees and that hard work is the first step to success

Money Grown on a Tree

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Colour MeColour Me

There was a red bicycle with a fancy seat, a designer stand, a beautiful basket under its handle and a

colourful carrier behind its basket. All these made it look stunning.

She called herself Scarlet and was proud of her beauty. She looked down upon all the other bicycles in the shop. Whenever another bicycle would try to talk to her, she would make a face and say, “I don’t talk to ugly bicycles.”

If any bicycle explained why this behaviour was wrong, Scarlet would start arguing and fighting. Eventually, the other bicycles stopped talking to her altogether.

Samarth’s birthday was around the corner. He had asked papa for a bicycle as his

birthday gift. Papa chose Scarlet just by looking at it once and put her in his big car and took it home.

Samarth was overjoyed to get Scarlet. He decorated her with balloons and paper flowers and decided to ride her after cutting his cake. Scarlet too was excited after coming to her new house.

The next day, after cutting the cake, Samarth showed his new bicycle to his friends. They all loved Scarlet and said she looked lovely. Scarlet’s pride now knew no bounds.

“Come Samarth, let’s take her on a ride,” said Hemant.

“Of course,” said Samarth, and climbed Scarlet’s seat.

The Red Bicycle Sanjeev Jaiswal

7February (Second) 2020

“Hey! What are you doing? Get down at once! You’re hurting me!” screamed Scarlet.

But Samarth could not hear her. He started pedaling with force. Scarlet screamed in pain, “Why are you pushing me? Hey! It hurts! It hurts! Get down!”

But Samarth rode her at high speed on the road. Scarlet was now miserable. “I thought you were a good kid. But you’re mean! You’re hurting me so much! I’ll teach you a lesson!” said Scarlet, furiously.

She tilted to one side. Samarth could not control his balance as she moved suddenly, and fell on the road.

“Now you’ll learn!” said Scarlet, smiling to herself. Though Scarlet was also hurt, she forgot her own pain seeing Samarth injured.

He had bruised his knees. He somehow managed to stand and then picked up Scarlet. He took out his handkerchief and cleaned the dirt off her.

“No matter how much you pretend to

care, I’m not letting you ride me again!” said Scarlet, making a face.

Samarth walked with her for three or four steps and then jumped on her again.

“It seems you haven’t learned your lesson yet! Now I’ll show you,” said Scarlet and gave a jerk and bent downwards.

This time Samarth was careful. He put his feet down on the ground and maintained his balance. Scarlet was furious. She kept trying to throw Samarth off, but he kept his balance and pedalled at high speed and reached home.

“Oh, you’re hurt!” said ma when she saw him.

“It’s nothing! I fell down from the cycle and got bruised,” said Samarth.

“Come, let me apply some antiseptic,” said ma.

“Wait, ma, please! My bicycle is dirty. Let me clean it first,” said Samarth and started cleaning Scarlet using an old piece of

cloth.

“This boy is so rude! He’s cleaning me with a dirty cloth. I can’t bear the smell,” complained Scarlet, but Samarth cleaned her completely.

He then parked the bicycle on the porch. Papa’s car was also parked there.

8

Seeing the bicycle, Rocky car smiled and said, “Welcome, friend! How do you like the new house?”

“What kind of a welcome is this? I regret having come to this house. First, that naughty boy jumped on me, kicked me and then he cleaned me with a dirty cloth. So repulsive!” said Scarlet, furious.

“Don’t think like that! We have been made for humans to travel in. That’s our job!” said Rocky.

“Yes, but he could have used me gently. Why was he kicking me so much?” said Scarlet, irritatedly.

Rocky laughed. “He wasn’t kicking you. He was pedaling. That’s the way to ride you!”

“What a rude way!” she made a face. “You have such nice seats inside. People just sit inside and then drive you. How would you know what a kick feels like?”

Rocky tried to make her see reason, but Scarlet would not calm down. She had made up her mind that if Samarth tried riding her, she would throw him down again.

The next day, after returning from school, Samarth took Scarlet out again. He rode it and went to meet his friends. Scarlet was raging with anger. She threw Samarth down again.

Samarth was hurt but he got up and resumed riding. Scarlet kept trying to throw him down but could not succeed. Samarth rode very carefully now.

“Ouch! Something bit me! It hurts! Ow, ow, ow! Something bit me!” suddenly Scarlet started screamed loudly.

But Samarth could not hear her. He stopped, and looked at her. A nail had pierced one of the tyres and had punctured it.

“Oh! What do I do now? There’s no repair shop nearby,” said Samarth looking around. “I guess we should go home.”

“Hey, what are you doing? I can’t move! One of my tyres is punctured. Don’t drag me like that! It hurts!” screamed Scarlet.

Samarth seemed to understand this time that Scarlet was in pain. The punctured bicycle felt heavier than usual.


“If I keep dragging it, the tyres and tubes will get spoiled. What to do now? I can’t see a rickshaw anywhere on the road,” Samarth scratched his head.

He waited for some time but there was no rickshaw or any other vehicle that he could use to transport his bicycle.

“All right then! I guess if I can ride the bicycle, the bicycle can ride me too!” and saying so, he picked up Scarlet on his shoulders and walked home.

Carrying her all the way home was exhausting but Samarth put her down only after reaching home. He parked her on the porch and went inside the house.

“Did you see how much he cares for you? The same boy you’ve been plotting to throw on the ground did not want your tyres and tubes to get spoiled so he carried you on his shoulders,” said Rocky.

Scarlet now realised how tiring it was to carry her all the way, but Samarth had not put her down or dragged her. He really was fond of her. She regretted her behaviour of trying to throw him down. She promised that she would stop being mischievous and would go happily with Samarth on rides.

That evening, Samarth’s Dad had the puncture fixed. Samarth went on a ride again and Scarlet pushed herself at high speed. Samarth soon reached his friends.

He was happy, and so was she to become his favourite bicycle

Arising pubtech solutions

* Answer on the last page.

Maze There is one way out of the four to reach the centre of the maze. Find the right way.

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ChampakMagazine and https://www.youtube.com/ChampakSciQ

Q: What is the full form of MATHS?A: M- MENTAL A- ATTACK

T- TO THE H- HEALTHY S- STUDENTS

SK MD Sain,13 years, Arambagh

Q: What do you call a dog that tells the time?A: Watchdog!Q: What do you call a lady with a pyramid on her head?A: MummyQ: What do you call Iron Man when he can’t swim?A: Robert Drowney Jr.

Aarav Verma,13 years, Mumbai

Q: What goes zzub - zzub? A: A bee flying backwards. Q: Why do bees have sticky hair? A: Because they use honey combs!

Suchitra Balaganesh,12 years, Chennai

Student: Would you punish me for something I didn’t do? Teacher: Of course not. Student: Okay. I didn’t do my homework.

Amrita Sharma, 12 years, Jammu

Q: How do you stop an astronaut’s baby from crying?A: You rocket!Q: What kind of tree fits in your hand?A: A palm tree!Q: What did one wall say to the other wall? A: I’ll meet you at the corner!

Neel Mehta, 9 years, Pune

Two donkeys are standing on the footpath, one asks the other: Shall we cross?The other shakes his head: “No way, look at what happened to the zebra.”

Kavya Dharmesh Bhatt, 11 years, New Delhi

Three boys named Manners, Keep Quiet and Trouble were playing. One day, Trouble disappeared! Keep Quiet and Manners were unable to find him and reported Trouble’s disappearance to the police. When they arrived at the police station, only Keep Quiet went in. “What is your name?” asked the policeman. “Keep Quiet,” the boy replied. “What?” asked the policeman, startled, “Where are your manners?” “Sitting outside on the steps,” replied Keep Quiet. “Are you looking for trouble?” he scowled. “Yes,” said Keep Quiet, “How did you know?”

Navneeth S R, 8 years, Ahmedabad

Q: Why did the student eat his homework?A: Because the teacher told him it was a piece of cake!

Saaransh Suman, 7 years, Patna

DAMRU AND GREETING CARDS

Shivesh Shrivastava

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DAMRU STARTED WORKING AT PRINCy GOAT’S GREETING CARD ShOP.

DAMRU, ThIS fESTIvE SEASON, WE hAvE TO TAKE GOOD CARE Of ThE CUSTOMERS AND GIvE ThEM GOOD GREETING CARD OPTIONS!

MADAM, WhAT DO ThE PEOPlE DO WITh ThESE GREETING CARDS?

ThEy GIvE IT TO ThEIR fRIENDS AND fAMIly TO EXPRESS

ThEIR lOvE AND CARE.

Oh! SO ThIS IS IT.

I hAvE TO GO OUT fOR SOME WORK. WhEN CUSTOMERS ASKS fOR WEDDING,

vAlENTINE'S DAy OR hOlI CARDS, ShOW ThEM All ThE OPTIONS WE hAvE.

OK, MADAM. yOU DON'T hAvE TO WORRy.

AfTER A WhIlE WhEN PRINCy RETURNS, ShE SCREAMS.

ThE ShOP IS EMPTy! WhAT hAPPENED? hAvE yOU SOlD All ThE CARDS?

MADAM, I INvITED EvERyONE fROM ThE fOREST AND

DISTRIbUTED ThE CARDS TO ThEM.

WhO TOlD yOU TO

DO ThIS?

MADAM, yOU TOlD ME ThAT

by GIvING CARDS, WE EXPRESS

lOvE. I WAS EXPRESSING My lOvE fOR EvERyONE.

GET OUT Of hERE, yOU hAvE RUINED My bUSINESS by

DISTRIbUTING ThESE CARDS fOR fREE!

bECAUSE Of yOU, I hAvE TO ShUT My ShOP.

NO, MADAM, I KEPT ONE CARD

fOR yOU SO ThAT ThE lOvE

REMAINS.

Manoj Roy

Why the Bat Flies by Night

14

A long time ago, there lived a rat named Oyot and a bat named Emiong. They were best friends.

As time passed, Emiong started getting jealous of Oyot. He was forever looking for ways to trouble him.

Oyot, on the other hand, trusted his friend as before.

Once when Oyot was passing by his friend’s house, he got a delicious aroma.

Entering the house he asked, “What are you cooking? It smells tasty.”

“Oh, nothing special. It’s just soup,” said Emiong with a smile. Both of them sat down and started drinking the soup.

“This soup is excellent,” said Oyot. “Please tell me how you make it.”

A cunning smile spread over Emiong’s face. “It’s a secret. Don’t disclose it to anybody. When the water gets hot, I jump into it and stay in the boiling water for some time. This makes the soup tasty. You must try making soup this way.”

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Oyot was excited to learn this. He decided that he would try making soup the same way. Little did he know that his friend wanted to hurt him.

The next day Oyot told his wife, “I want to drink soup. Boil some water in a big pot and I will show you a new way of making it.”

His wife wondered what he was up to. All the same, she boiled some water in a big pot.

“What should be done next?” she asked as the water began to boil.

“Now I will jump into this. My friend Emiong told me that if I boil myself in this water for some time the soup will taste delicious.”

“Are you crazy?” screamed his wife. “If you jump into this water, you will die,” she said trying to make him see sense.

But Oyot was bent on trying Emiong’s

method. As soon as his wife went to the other room, he jumped into the boiling water and died in a short while.

When his wife came back she found him lying dead in the pot. She grieved for her husband but was angry at Emiong. She went to King Sheru lion and complained about the bat. The king was furious too.

He ordered his soldiers to produce Emiong in his court.

Emiong had already got the news of Oyot’s death. Suspecting that he might be arrested, he flew away from there.

It is said that he kept flying around and the soldiers kept searching for him. In the end, he was so fed up that he decided to keep hiding. During the day, he would stay in the hollow of a tree and come out only at night in search of food.

To this day, bats venture out only at night. That is why we do not see bats in the daytime


(Inspired by a Nigerian folktale.)


sequence February 28 is National Science Day. Gina is making a lava lamp. Put the steps in

order and discover the magic of science.

Lava Lamp

Make a rain cloud in a jarDiscover how we get rain.

How is rain formed?The concept of rain is similar to what happens in our experiment—when there is too much water in the clouds, it falls down as rain. Under hot sun, water from rivers, lakes and oceans evaporate into a gaseous form called water vapour. This water vapour rises into the atmosphere. When it reaches the top layers that are cold, it turns back into droplets of water. These tiny drops of water float in the air and stick together to form clouds. When these clouds get full that they can’t hold that water any more, it rains.

comm

ons.wikim

edia.org

1. Fill three-fourths of a glass with water. Create a cloud on top of the water using shaving foam. Let it settle.

Initially, when the drops of food colouring are added, they get soaked in the foam cloud. But as the foam cloud absorbs more colour, the drops fall into the water, creating a rain-like effect.

Why does the food colouring drop out of the foam cloud?Shaving foam has a lot of air inside it and hence it is lighter than water. As a result, in our experiment, the shaving foam floats on water in the glass. The food colouring is heavier than the foam. When we keep adding more colour, it initially fills up the empty space in the foam. Eventually, when no more food colouring can be absorbed by the foam, it falls down into the water, like rain.

l A glass filled with waterl Shaving foam l Blue food colouring

2. Using a dropper, add the food colour on the foam cloud, till it can absorb the colour.

Lots of colourful and attractive boats were lined at the river bank. The animals used them to

cross the river and then again to come back. Tinu rabbit’s blue boat was well-crafted, with smooth lines and got many admiring looks.

One day, Tinu was in a hurry to get home so he tied his boat at the bank. There was an old boat tied next to it. It seemed its owner had not taken good care of it. The blue boat turned her nose on seeing herself so close to the old, dusty and uneven boat.

The old boat asked her, “What is the matter? You seem to be upset.”

The blue boat retorted, “That’s none of your concern. I think you should mind your own business.”

The old boat said, “Even strangers get connected in moments like these.”

“Humph! What connection are you talking about?” snapped the blue boat.

Dr. K. Rani

Tinu’s Boat

“Have you had a good look at yourself lately? Unfortunately, my owner tied me at the wrong place otherwise I wouldn’t even look at you.”

“It’s not nice to be rude,” said the old boat. “After all, we are boats and have brief connections with others. Never forget that.”

“I don’t need your advice,” said the blue boat. “You don’t seem to have any work, I think.”

“Once upon a time I was young like you,” said the old boat. “Then I had a lot of work to do. I would make several trips across the river in one day.”

“It would be better if you kept your mouth shut,” sneered the blue boat. “You’re just looking for an excuse to make conversation with a beautiful boat.”

The old boat was amused to hear this. True, the blue boat was beautiful but the old boat was also strong and capable. Of course, the animals preferred to ride in the blue boat as she was good to look at, but they also knew that the old boat was well-built and durable.

The blue boat somehow spent the night alongside the old boat.

The next morning the animals who wanted to cross the river started gathering at the bank. There was an old cave across the river that the animals visited.

As soon as Tinu arrived, the blue boat sighed in relief. After some time, Dingu donkey came to his boat and untied the ropes. Though he did not have the money to paint it, he knew she was sturdy and could still ferry people.

Tinu and Dingu were waiting for passengers. A group of animals reached there. The blue boat started priding in herself as soon as she saw them. Meelu goat, exclaimed, “How beautiful this blue boat is!”

“It’s truly beautiful,” agreed Hiro horse. “Let’s cross the river on this.”

“Wait!” ordered Baloo bear. “All of us need to cross the river in one boat.”

“Baloo is right,” said Hiro. “We are twelve of us. We won’t fit in the blue boat.”

“I can take more passengers in my boat,” declared Tinu rabbit.

“No, but this old boat looks like it will be able to carry more than twenty

passengers,” said Baloo.

Tinu did not give up. “You’ll enjoy crossing the river on my new boat. Just try a ride.”

Dingu donkey was listening quietly to them. He had faith in his boat who had safely carried passengers across the river in the most terrible of storms.

Baloo bear’s group was not ready to ride in Tinu Rabbit’s blue boat even though he insisted because Baloo felt that the old boat was a safer option.

Just then four animals reached the bank and went to Tinu’s blue boat.

“This blue boat is beyond compare,” boasted Tinu. “She’ll take you across in no time.”

“That’s the reason we chose her,” said Lola langur.

Meanwhile, Baloo and his friends boarded the old boat.

The weather had been stormy since morning. Now it was starting to drizzle. Tinu’s blue boat set off and Dingu’s boat followed. Strong winds started blowing. Tinu’s boat was not able to withstand the force of the wind and had started going around in circles.

“Just look at the blue boat!”

“It seems to be spinning out of control,” said Baloo.

Dingu said, “Such storms are common. We are used to them.”

20

“Your boat is strong unlike the blue boat. I think you should help them,” suggested Baloo.

“We should worry about our own boat right now,” said Hiro.

“Don’t worry,” assured Dingu. “My boat may be old but she can carry all the passengers of the blue boat,” he added, heading in the direction of the blue boat.

Baloo and his friends helped Tinu and his passengers onto the old boat. The blue boat was rocked by a strong gust of wind. It sank to the bottom of the river in a matter of moments. Thankfully, all

the passengers were safe.

The storm calmed and the old boat started moving across the river once again. All the animals reached the bank safely. Tinu thanked Dingu for saving their lives. Tinu’s eyes filled with tears when he saw parts of his wrecked boat floating on the river.

“Don’t be sad, Tinu,” said Dingu, consoling him. “Now whenever you build a boat, remember, it should be tough as well as beautiful.”

“You’re right. I won’t ever make such a mistake again,” said Tinu. The old boat took all of them back again

21

p s babu

Some things in this picture are not right. Find out what they are.

Float or Sink? Circle the objects that float in water and strike out the ones that sink.


DAS

Cheeku and Meeku are going to come this way. I will hide behind this BUSH.

Next day

Third day

I smell DANGER. Surely someone is hiding here.

Then we SHOULD TAKE another way.

Oh! They have gone. I will have to do something SO that they ARE NOT ALARMED BY my smell.

I have sprayed perfume. Now they

will not get my smell.

Today there is no smell of any animal. But I can SMELL perfume.

It means an animal is trying to cheat us

USING perfume.

Oh! again they HAVE GONE away. I will have to do something else.

tHIS APPLE IN THE TRAP IS SURE TO HELP ME CATCH SOME ANIMAL. As soon as

ANYONE touches it, IT WILL GET TRAPPED!

Cheeku pusheS the apple with a stick. THE

TRAP SNAPS OUT.

Cheeku keeps the trap back and covers it with leaves. Then HE SCREAMS.

Fox comes running ON HEARING CHEEKU'S cry And gets caught in the trap.

Now no smell and no scent. Ha... Ha... Ha...

It seems there is no animal around today.

Yes! But I CAN smell a DELICIOUS fruit.

I found IT. It’s an apple. Wait, Meeku, don’t touch it. FIRST, Think! How did this apple cOme here?

May be it fell from a tree. But there is no apple tree here.

We are saved! But whoever tried to trick

us will BE PUNISHED.

Help... Save me... Save me... Oh...Oh! My foot...

As you sow, SO

SHALL you reap.

Answers: Who am I?

1. Shadow 2. Peach 3. Peas 4. Onion 5. Mirror

Answers: How Much Do You Know? 1. C 2. A 3. D 4. B

1. Which month of the year has the least number of days? A) March B) May C) February D) December

2. Which gas do plants absorb? A) Carbon Dioxide B) Oxygen C) Hydrogen D) Sulphur Dioxide

3. Which is the biggest bird in the world? A) Crow B) Parrot C) Pigeon D) Ostrich

4. How many years are there in one millenium? A) 500 B) 1,000 C) 1,250 D) 10,000

1. I live where light is But if light touches me, I die Who am I?

2. I have furry skin. I smell delicious! I have a large seed inside. Who Am I?

3. I am green. I am small. I grow in a pod. Who Am I?

4. I grow in the ground. I can be brown, white or red. I might make you cry. Who Am I?

5. Idon’tspeak, Ican’thear, But I will always tell the truth. Who am I?

Join the dots according to the numbers and complete the picture.


It was a Sunday but the school was full of students and was bustling with excitement. The school was decorated

and looked dressed up.

Outside the school were huge banners saying ‘National Science Day workshop’. Many cars were parked in neat rows in the school ground. The students and teachers were waiting for the District Collector to arrive.

The parents of the children were also invited. In the auditorium, science projects were arranged in neat rows. The projects were prepared by the students and their names were displayed on them. They stood behind the counters explaining their projects to visitors.

Parents were happy to see the projects and everyone took their seats when the chief guest arrived. The Collector saw all the projects and praised the children’s efforts.

After the welcome speech by the Principal, the Collector was called on stage.

He went to the stage and said, “Children, do you know what we celebrate February 28 as?” The children shouted, “National Science Day, sir.”

CelebratingSCienCe Poonam Mehta

Then he asked, “Why do we celebrate it on this day?”

No one said anything.

The Collector said, “On this day in the year 1928, the famous scientist Dr C.V. Raman announced his famous discovery of the Raman Effect. For this discovery, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930 and was the first Asian to receive it. We celebrate this day to mark the importance of this discovery.”

“Dr Raman’s full name was Chandrashekhar Venket Raman. His father was a professor of mathematics. As a child, Raman showed special ability in studies. He was appointed to

28

the post of Assistant Accountant General in the Indian Finance Department. He resigned from this post in 1917.

For a while, he served as a professor of Physics in the University of Calcutta. He was nominated to the Royal Society of London and awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954. In 1957, he received the Lenin Peace Award.

The Indian government appointed him as the first National Professor in 1974 and established the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore in 1948. We celebrate this day to show the importance of science. Our society is still touched by superstition, untouchability and ignorance. The objective of celebrating Science Day is

to spread awareness among people, in order to increase logical reasoning and ideas on discoveries and developments of science.

The National Council for Science and Technology and the Ministry of Science and Technology together organise this event. For a full month, exhibitions related to science, quizzes, debates, lectures, seminars, workshops and competitions are conducted which either begin or end on February 28. Every year, a common theme is chosen.

Awards for popularisation of science are distributed on this day. People are encouraged to make inventions for the benefit of humanity.


Students are encouraged to use scientific methods, using of clean water, immunisation, producing more through organic farming, biodiversity and conservation.

The theme for 2020 was ‘Women in science’. Research papers and related materials have already been called for. National Science Day is a platform on which communication from specialists and their ideas with our youth encourages more adoption of scientific perspective and contribute more to the progress and development of our country.”

The children clapped when the speech ended. Now it was time for the announcement of the award winners.

The first place was awarded to the model of the solar system. It was a model made with balls and wires, representing the sun and the planets. The planets were made and placed

according to their sizes and distances.

The second award was given to the model of the television. With great effort the children had prepared a television with an ordinary box.

The third prize was received by the project on pollution control. The children had shown different types of pollution and how they could be controlled by planting trees.

The three winning teams were called on the stage to receive their trophies. Those children who did not receive any prize were not disappointed. The principal had already explained to all the children that it was not necessary to win the prize but to display something important through their ideas.

The children returned happily to their homes with their parents. They had understood the meaning of unique contest

Hu

sain

Zam

in

Parts of this image have been left blank. Look at the picture, complete it and then colour it.


Chaitanya

Hare And Tortoise Race Again

In the forest, there was a spring flowing

from the hills. At the side of the spring was a pond from where the animals drank.

Robby hare sat under a tree near the pond, deep in thought. Just then, he saw Toto tortoise approaching the pond.

Robby was delighted and went to Toto and said, “I have been looking for you for a long time. It is good to see you here today.”

“Looking for me? What for?” asked Toto, amazed.

“You know about the story of the hare and the tortoise who had a race?” asked Robby.

“Yes, I have read the story. But what has that got to do with us?” asked Toto.

“That race was a black mark for the whole hare community. And I want to erase that

mark because hares are known for their speed. To be defeated by a slow tortoise is a disgrace for all eternity. Those days, the lazy hares loved to sleep and the one I am talking about went off to sleep before reaching the finish line. But I am a hare of the modern era. I cannot think of resting until I reach my goal,” Robby said.

“Indeed, it was very shameful,” Toto said innocently.

32

“Therefore, I want us to race. And I want to defeat you,” said Robby.

“How can I, a slow mover, defeat you, a fast runner? But I am ready. Let’s do it,” said Toto, sportingly.

“Alright, done. You rest here for now. To judge the contest and to witness the win, I’ll invite a few animals,” saying this Robby left and Toto went into the pond and started enjoying his swim.

In about an hour, Robby had gathered several animals under a large tree and came to Toto. After his swim in the pond, Toto was standing there waiting for him.

“Look. Can you see that big cotton tree over there? Whoever reaches it first will be the winner. When I win, I will be able to wipe out the black mark and remove the disgrace of the hare community,” Robby said, excitedly.

“Understood!” Toto nodded his head in agreement.

“Let’s not delay. One… two… three,” and Robby took off at once.

Toto started at his usual slow speed, crawling in the direction of the tree.

Robby was obsessed with the idea of victory, so he ran fast, away from Toto.

The cotton tree was about 2 kilometres away from the pond. On the way, there was the

vegetable farm of Bholu Bear.

When Robby ran past the farm, he saw Pintu hare standing there.

“Stop… stop… stop…,” Pintu shouted at Robby.

Out of breath, Robby stopped. “What is it?” Pintu was his best friend, so he had to stop.

“Bholu has gone to the market to sell vegetables. There is no one now to guard the farm. Inside there are fresh juicy carrots. Let us go in and enjoy them,” Pintu tempted him.

February (Second) 2020

Robby’s mouth started watering at the mention of fresh juicy carrots. But he knew he had to reach the cotton tree too.

“I am taking part in a race. I have to reach the cotton tree before Toto does, otherwise he will win,” said Robby.

“Come on! How can you compare your speed to his crawl? Even if you start after two or three hours, you will reach there first. We will enjoy the carrots at least for half an hour. When will we get such an

opportunity again?” coaxed Pintu.

Indeed, Bholu never left his farm unguarded. He protected it round the clock. Such a golden opportunity would not come again. The delay would be only for half an hour or one hour, which Robby knew he could easily make up.

The greed for carrots made him forget the race and he hurried to Bholu’s farm with Pintu.

When they reached the farm, Pintu said to Robby, “You go in first. I will go in after

you have come back. I will stand guard here so that no one catches us.”

“Alright. I will go in first,” and Robby hurried into the farm. Inside, along with the carrot plants were also vegetable bushes which Robby hid behind so he could not be seen from outside.

Pintu waited outside for Robby’s return. It had been more than two hours and there was no sign of Robby. Pintu started getting restless.

He could not call out to Robby because there was fear of someone hearing it and reporting it to Bholu. That would be dangerous. So Pintu kept quiet. Then he thought that Robby had tricked him and run away.

Pintu was irritated with this thought and disappointed, he went back home.

The afternoon passed into evening. Bholu returned from the market and entered his farm. He saw Robby caught in a net, lying on the ground with exhaustion.

“Today I have caught the thief who has been stealing from my farm. Carrots were stolen every day and that’s why I had set this net,” Bholu said in anger.

“First release me, Bholu. Then I will tell you what happened. It was Pintu who tricked me into this and has himself run away. I was taking part in a race. Because of him I got caught in this net and have lost the race too,” Robby narrated the whole story as he panted and gasped.

“Don’t make excuses. I don’t want to hear them.” Bholu released him from the net and took Robby to the cotton tree where all the animals were waiting.

Toto had reached and won the race. The animals had garlanded him and he was smiling with delight. All animals were congratulating him.

“I have caught Robby red-handed stealing carrots from my farm. I am handing him over to the police.” Saying that, Bholu

handed Robby to the police.

Robby noticed the smiling face of Toto and said, “I beg pardon from everyone. Indeed, greed is very bad. It makes us lose our wisdom, understanding, honour, aim and everything. In ancient days, the hare lost the race due to laziness. Now, I have lost due to greed. In future I will not let this happen again. This is my promise,” said Robby, congratulating Toto


amalgamation graphics

Make a bouncy frog with chart paper.

You will need:Orange, light and dark green, and red chart papers, scissors, glue, pencil, black pen

How to make:

Leaping Frog

3. Cut two equal size green strips and stick them

together on one end. Fold each strip over the other to

form a tight spring.

1. Take light green chart paper and cut it in a shape of a leaf.

4. Glue this spring in the centre of

the leaf.

5. Trace a frog on orange chart paper

and cut it.

2. Cut four thin conical strips of dark green paper and stick them on the leaf.

6. Cut circles from red chart paper and stick them

on the frog’s body. Add eyes using white chart paper and black pen.

7. Cut a long strip of red paper for the

frog’s tongue.

8. Glue the frog on the paper spring.

Your frog is ready! Press the frog to see it hop!

Try making this yourself at home! Send your creations to us at [email protected] or take a photo and send it to us at +91 9619587613

Pinky cat gave birth to three kittens. She named them Meenu, Lucy, and Pinto. As the children

grew up, they became naughtier. When Pinky went out in search of food, she would warn them, “You are still small. Don’t go out without me. It could be dangerous.”

One day, after Pinky had left, Pinto said, “I don’t like to be stuck inside the house. We should go and see how life is in the world outside.”

Vandana Gupta

Behind The Wall“I also want to see life in the world outside,” Lucy agreed, supporting him.

“But ma has told us not to go out without her,” said Meenu.

“There is so much time before she returns. We will be back before her. She will not know anything,” Pinto said, not giving up.

“Okay. But we will not go very far and remember the path we take, so that we do not lose our way back,” said Meenu.

The three children stepped out of the house. After some time, they came to a large bush with yellow flowers. “Remember we turned left at this bush with yellow flowers,” said Meenu.

Then they went straight until they reached a big round stone. They turned right there and memorised that too. After going straight, they came across a big wall. The wall was not more than four feet high, but since they were small, they found it high.

“What do you think is behind this wall?” asked Pinto.

“Perhaps a river or a mountain,” said Meenu.

“I want to go and see behind it,” said Lucy, impatiently.

“We too want to see what’s behind the wall. But how do we do that?” asked Meenu and Pinto together.

They tried jumping up and down to get a peek of the other side. Pinto managed to jump high, but even then he could not see what was across the wall.

“It’s been a long time since we left the house. If ma returns before us, we will get a scolding. Let us head back home and come out again tomorrow after she leaves!”

The others agreed, and they all turned back. After a while, they came to the round stone.

“We turn right here, don’t we?” asked Pinto. “Yes!” replied Lucy and Meenu. They had memorised that.

39

“Now we need to turn left at the bush with yellow flowers,” said Lucy. But even after walking for a long time, they couldn’t see the yellow flowered bush.

“This path looks different. We didn’t pass so many big trees when we came,” said Meenu, in tears.

“Though we memorised the path, we seem to be lost,” said Pinto.

The three children did not know what to do and were scared.

Just then, they saw Gillu squirrel who lived just above their house, walking by. Before they could ask her anything, Gillu asked, “What are you three doing alone so far from home?”

“Gillu aunty, we are so happy to see you! We took great care to remember our way, but are lost!” said Meenu, explaining in detail what they had done.

“No wonder you are lost!” exclaimed Gillu when she heard what they had done. “You see, if you turned right while going, you have to turn left when returning back on the same path!”

“Why?” asked the children, confused.

“Wait. Let me show you,” said Gillu, picking up a stick. She began drawing on the ground.

“This is your house and you came straight from there to the bush with yellow flowers. You turned left at the bush,” she said, drawing a lines to explain. “Then you came to the round stone and turned right.

Then you went straight, till you came to the wall. Is that right?”

“Yes aunty,” said the children, looking at the drawing.

“Now to return home,” continued Gillu. “You start from the wall and till you reach the round stone,” she said, tracing the lines she had already drawn. “Now, if you turn right, you are going away from your path. You need to turn left when going back. That’s how you will reach the bush with the yellow flowers.”

40

When the children looked at the drawing, they understood what Aunt Gillu was saying and realised their mistake.

“Come with me. I’ll take you home,” said Aunt Gillu. The kittens followed her and soon reached home. To their relief, ma had not reached home, so they ran inside not scared at being shouted.

That night, though tired, the three children could not sleep. “What do you think is behind that wall?” whispered Pinto.

“I was thinking of that too!” exclaimed Lucy. “I think there are stars there!”

“Stupid! Stars are in the sky,” said Meenu. “I think there will be a big pond with ducks swimming in it, as ma has told in the story.”

“Yes. And there are fish in the pond. I don’t think I can sleep properly till I see it,” said Pinto. “Let’s go there again tomorrow!”

“But what if we lose our way again? Aunt Gillu won’t be there to help,” said Meenu, worried.

“Why will we lose our way? Aunt Gillu has explained so well. We need to take left while going, and right when returning!” Pinto said, encouraging his sisters.

“Why are you children awake?” said ma, hearing the whispers. “Go to sleep. It’s way past your bedtime!”

The next day, as soon as Pinky left the house, the three children ran to the wall, following the same path.

This time, instead of jumping, they decided to walk along the wall to see if there was an opening. After a while, they came to a part of the wall that was broken.

A brick had fallen off and there was a hole in the wall! The three kittens rushed to the hole and tried to peer through it. They pushed and shoved trying to be the first to look. Pinto managed to put his head in, but Lucy and Meenu started pushing him because they wanted to look. But instead of pushing him away, they pushed him through the hole and Pinto fell on the other side of the wall!


Pinto was scared and started whimpering. Though Lucy and Meenu had pushed him through the small hole, without being pushed back, there was no way Pinto could go back as the hole was tiny. He tried, but simply could not go through. Tired and scared, he started howling.

Hearing him cry, Lucy and Meenu were scared.

“Pinto, Lucy and I will run home and get ma to come and help!” said Meenu, knowing that was the only way to save Pinto.

“No! Please don’t leave me here alone!” cried Pinto. “I’m scared!”

“Okay Pinto. Lucy will stay here with you.

I will go home, and get ma when she comes back!” said Meenu. She then turned around to run home and this time, she did not make a single mistake, and took all the correct turns to reach home. After some time, ma also returned home and was shocked to see only Meenu there. “Where are

Lucy and Pinto?” she asked.

Meenu quickly told her the whole story. “Now Pinto is

stuck on the other side of the wall and we are all scared. Please

come and save him ma!”

Pinky ran out of the house with Meenu. She was also afraid that something would happen to Pinto and Lucy. “This is why I told you children to stay indoors,” she scolded Meenu as she ran.

Pinky and Meenu soon reached the wall. Lucy was trying to calm Pinto and was glad when she saw her mother. Pinky wasted no time and jumped easily over the wall and picked up Pinto with her mouth and jumped back.

Pinky brought the children home. “We are sorry, ma,” they wept. “We will not go out alone again till we are old enough.”

Pinky hugged her children, gave them a good dinner of milk and put them to bed.

In her heart, she was proud of how brave the children had been, and how well they had supported each other

MANIM

ALA JEEVA

42

Us and Them

Circle 10 differences you can findbetween the two pictures.SpOt the Difference

find the right direction. While it does that, it goes around in circles on the ball, which makes it look as if it is dancing. After taking a mental ‘photo’ of the sky, it uses the navigational clues to roll the ball of dung away. If it doesn’t read the sky, it may end up getting lost.

For centuries, travellers have looked at the stars to navigate around the world. The position of the stars helps them identify the direction. This method of tracking direction using stars is called celestial navigation or astronavigation.

Dung beetles also use astronavigation. They are the only insect known to do so. Found on all continents except Antarctica, dung beetles are called so because they feed on dung and roll pieces of dung into a ball for food. This ball is rolled far away from other dung beetles so that it doesn’t get stolen.

A dung beetle travels as far as possible and to retrace its path, it climbs on top of a dung ball and observes the sky for navigational clues. It remembers the positions of the Sun, Moon or stars to

A dung beetle can pull 1,141 times its own bodyweight, which is the same as a human dragging six double-

decker buses!

A Student's JourneyBusy times, good days,

Memories fresh and no delays!As we approach last term assessments,

Learning and making amendments,Receiving term marksheets,

Activities, projects about light and heat.Days filled with progress,

Remember, wins and failures are steps to success!Bidding farewell to old classes,Keeping up with study masses.

A student’s journey is like crossing a desert,Thirst and hunger are examinations of merit!

Hot sun and cold moon,In the form of results, become a boon!

Words above were said by a great authoress,Of high standards and wonderful prowess!

My idol – Sudha Murthy,And the teacher – Mrs. Bajpai!

Anusha Shukla10 years, Jabalpur

Kite FlightLook at the kite in the sky,

Flying high and high Between the clouds,

With a flow,With a breeze.

Where is it going?Will it flow high above the rivers,

Or cross the snowy peak of mountains?Oh! I wish I could be a kite,And make the sky my friend!

Satyaki Gupta,8 years, Kolkata

Shiva9 years, Uttar Pradesh

Niveditha Tupakula 12 years, Gujarat

Purvi Tarkya 12 years, Madhya Pradesh

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Send us jokes, riddles, drawings or stories with your full name, age and address to:Delhi PressA-4, Shri Ram Industrial EstateWadala, Mumbai-400031

Calendar made by our reader,

Meenakshi Singh, 11 years, Faridabad

We cannot return your

work, so you might want

to keep a copy.

TreesFrom a tiny seed you sprout,

A very fine little soot;With pretty pale green leaves,

And a sturdy strong root!I watch over you everyday

You are soon a great big tree,With many big branches,That give shade to me.

R. Sahana 10 years, Chennai

The Tree With Thousand BlossomsThe magnificent tree stood,

Pressing its stiff roots,Deep into the powdery soil,

Looking fairly good.It gave plenty of room,

To thousands of flowers that bloom,With their bright petals wide open,

Revealing their bright colours.It stood with pride among the other trees,

With its pretty flowers attracting busy buzzing bees,And cute little shy pretty buds,

Closing their tiny colourful petals tight shut.Its majestic crown,

Provided home for feathery birds and their nests,Its broad trunk and branches of brown,

Provided home for many insects and pests.Its elegant leaves are juicy and green,

With few fluttering insects feeding on them,And dried leaves of red shades can be seen,

Rustling below the magnificent tree.There is such an enchanting tree,

In your neighbourhood too!Pledge today to protect and preserve it forever,

So that it shall stand with pride forever.P. V. Dharshini

11 Years, Chennai

Ananya Patrikar9 years, Netherlands

Ekaansh Chawla 9 years, Belapur

Vivek ChakravartyDadaji AND INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE day Rahul and Riya were giggling with each

other when dadaji entered the room.

No, DADAJI, we are laughing AT WHAT OUR friend Shekharan

SAID IN SCHOOL TODAY.

What did he say? DADAJI, we HAD TO TELL THE TEACHER WHAT IS OUR mother

language. EVERYONE SAID Hindi but Shekharan said Tamil.

Kids, Shekharan is absolutely right.

What do you mean

DADAJI? do our mother languages

differ?

Yes, mother language is A language THAT a child hears in one’s childhood from ONE'S FAMILY. IT IS A NATIVE LANGUAGE THAT ONE LEARNS FROM BIRTH.

mother OR NATIVE languageS vary depending on regionS. FOR EXAMPLE,

Gujarati is the Language for the people of Gujarat, Marathi for the people of Maharashtra, and

Hindi for people WHO LIVE IN UTTAR PRADESH, BIHAR AND DELHI.

What happened kids, Are YOU SHARING JOKES?

DADAJI SMILED.

son

al

DADAJI, why is mother TONGUE so IMPORTANT

TO KNOW?

WHEN WE SPEAK IN OUR MOTHER TONGUE, WE

CONNECT WITH PEOPLE EASILY, AND CAN LEARN

ABOUT our culture FROM THEM and take it forward.

WHEN MOTHER TONGUES ARE NOT PASSED DOWN

GENERATIONS, THEY DIE. THAT IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO

KNOW YOUR MOTHER LANGUAGE. IN INDIA, MORE THAN 19,000

LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN.

Oh! In that case MANY languageS ARE important.

Yes. TO CREATE AWARENESS, every year February 21 is celebrated as International Mother Language Day. the purpose of THIS

is to promote NATIVE languages.

Yes, DADAJI, THIS WILL DEFINITELY HELP PEOPLE LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR NATIVE LANGUAGES.

S. Varalakshmi

Appu elephant was a tailor who had just started business in Nandanvan. Because he was new,

he had no customers. One day, as he was waiting King Sheru lion walked in.

Appu was delighted. Would the King of Nandanvan be his first customer? He offered King Sheru a seat and rushed to the shop next door to fetch a glass of chilled cold drink. “I am honoured that you have come here, sir,” he said. “What can I do for you?”

King Sheru smiled. “I want a waistcoat made in the latest pattern. Everyone should want it. Make sure it fits!”

“Yes sir! I can do that easily,” said Appu, smiling back.

“When will it be ready for me to collect it?” asked King Sheru.

“It will take me two days,” replied Appu. “And please do not take the trouble of coming here. I will deliver the coat to you!”

King Sheru looked satisfied and left.

Exactly two days later, Appu delivered the waistcoat to Sheru who was impressed because of it’s latest style and superb fit. Appu’s tailoring fee was also reasonable.

King Sheru wore the coat on all occasions. The other animals were impressed and wanted a similar waistcoat. Sheru told them about Appu’s new shop, and soon all the animals of Nandanvan were heading there.

Appu Learns a lesson

48

At the shop, everyone wanted Appu’s attention.

“Appu, I want you to stitch a waistcoat just like the one you made for King Sheru,” said Brownie monkey.

“Appu, please stitch me a lovely dress,” said Lovina deer.

“I want a shirt,” said Dilly goat, thrusting shirt material in Appu’s hands.

Appu was stunned to see so many customers. He took everyone’s order patiently and served them cold drinks. He then told them that he would deliver the clothes himself to their homes.

Happy, the animals went their way.

After the clothes were delivered they were thrilled to wear their beautiful clothes.

Soon, Appu became super busy and started making plenty of money.

Appu was the only tailor to whom King Sheru gave his clothes. He got a lot of money and benefits by being the king’s tailor.

Over the next few months, as business grew, Appu’s attitude changed.

One day, Cookie bear came to Appu’s shop.

Appu neither greeted nor asked him to be seated instead went on sewing without lifting his head.

When Cookie spoke to him, Appu didn’t say anything.

Cookie sat down not knowing what to do and waited patiently.

After few minutes, Appu lifted his head and coldly asked him, “What is it?”

Cookie showed him the cloth material and asked Appu to stitch a pair of shorts.

“It’ll cost `800. And you have to pick it up,” snapped Appu.

“What? You used to charge only `400…” said Cookie.

“That was then. This is now,” Appu said rudely.

February (Second) 2020

Cookie was about to reply when Gondo gorilla came in carrying a pile of fabric. “Appu, I need five pairs of shorts and three shirts,” said Gondo.

Appu’s eyes lit up at the thought of a large order. He invited Gondo to sit and ran out to get a cold drink. “Why waste money on a full glass,” thought Appu. “Half a glass will do!” and Appu got it to his shop and gave it to Gondo.

“It looks like you’re too busy to take my

order,” snapped Cookie and left in a huff.

Appu didn’t even look his way.

Cookie soon realised that other animals were being treated with rudeness and many stopped going to Appu and went to other tailors.

Appu, however, made sure to keep some customers happy. These were his “elite clients” or those who brought in repeat large orders.

50

One day, Minty rhino came in with some material asking Appu to stitch a shirt. Appu did not care about such a small order, and flung the material. Minty was furious.

“You’re going to regret this,” shouted Minty. “You are not the only one who can stitch! There are plenty of others who can stitch better than you at half the cost!”

“Then go to them,” sneered Appu. “Don’t waste my time.”

By now, a crowd had gathered outside the shop, as both Appu and Minty had been shouting. Everyone understood what was happening and were horrified at Appu’s behaviour. Appu saw this and got even more furious. “Wipe that look from your faces,” he thundered. “I am, after all, the very best. My clients are at my beck and call. Even King Sheru will be lost without me. I dressed him up like a King or else he would have continued to look like a joker like the rest of you.”

Appu did not realise that King Sheru was in the crowd, till the King roared, “How dare you insult us all. I order you to leave the forest immediately!”

Appu realised he had gone too far. Trembling with fear, he bowed low before King Sheru. “I am truly sorry, sir. Please forgive my behaviour this time. It will never happen again!”

King Sheru was not easily pleased. “You insulted all your customers,” he declared. “It is only right that you apologise to all of them too!”

“I will do it. Please don’t ask me to leave. You gave me the encouragement and patronage I needed to succeed,” Appu begged King Sheru and the crowd.

“What on earth made you forget that?” asked King Sheru. “We will forgive you this time. You can stay. But see that you don’t repeat such horrible behaviour.”

Appu bowed to King Sheru and the crowd and promised that he would be humble and look after the needs of his customers first and always

Husain Zamin


Season

7Champak proudly presents the results of the Champak Creative Child Contest Season 7.

Om Karan Talewadikar, 8 yearsNM Joshi MPS (Muktangan), Lower Parel East

Kinjal Ravindra Rahate, 12 yearsNM Joshi MPS (Muktangan), Lower Parel East

Riya Sandesh Shirke, 13 yearsNM Joshi MPS (Muktangan), Lower Parel East

An exciting drawing competition!

Champak Creative Child Contest was organised at NM Joshi MPS (Muktangan), Lower Parel East. 190 students participated in the contest and enthusiastically submitted their drawings. Certificates were given to the best entries.

Sea Waves Come Back Sea waves come back but my

childhood will not,I miss my childhood a lot.Great was childhood,

Innocent were the smiles,Walking through woods was better than

today's long drive of miles,I miss my childhood almost everyday,

As it added happy notes to my life in every way.Memories are still in my heart,

I feel like rewinding time and doing a new start .Joy was in visiting grandparents place,

And happiness was to see a smile on their face!Sea waves come back but my childhood will not,

And I miss my childhood a lot.Shaolin Prajapati, 13 years

Jabalpur

Champak congratulates the winners and would love all our readers to participate. So grab your writing and painting material and get those creative ideas flowing. To participate look for the Champak Creative Child Contest advertisement in this issue.

Hurry!

Postal address: Champak, Delhi Press, A-4, Shri Ram Industrial Estate Wadala, Mumbai- 400031E-mail: [email protected] Visit our Facebook page for updates: www.facebook.com/ChampakMagazine

Topics for next month’s wild card entry are:lWorld Wildlife DaylHolilInternational Women’s DaySend your entries on A4 size paper.

Anita Birbal Bind, 13 yearsAbhinav Vidya Mandir

(Secondary Section) Borivali East

Asawari Abhishek Shelar, 12 yearsAbhinav Vidya Mandir


Sudhir Kumar M. Yadav, 13 yearsAbhinav Vidya Mandir


Champak Creative Child Contest was organised at Abhinav Vidya Mandir (Secondary Section) Borivali East. 240 students participated in the contest and enthusiastically submitted their drawings. Certificates were given to the best entries.

Manu could not find his school uniform and everyone at home shouted at him.

“Manu! You are so irresponsible!” said ma and yanked out his shirt from behind the door, handing it to him, and then went to pack his tiffin box.

Papa, who was watering plants, said, “You are in the seventh standard now! But you can’t concentrate on anything even for seven minutes! You’re only growing tall like a bamboo tree, but your brain is stunted!”

Although his father did not really mean anything he said and was laughing at his own words silently, Manu was deeply hurt by them. He quietly ate his breakfast, put his tiffin box in his bag and set off for school on his bicycle.

Kanu milkman was taking his sons, Luv

and Kush, to school on his bike. His sons were naughty and Manu was fond of them.

But today, he did not even look at them. He was preoccupied and upset.

On the way to school, Manu saw his friend, Varun dropped by his father. Krishna’s mother had come to drop him on her scooter. Seeing his friends’ parents, Manu again remembered how his parents had scolded him and began crying.

Instead of heading to the cycle stand to park his cycle, Manu rode off in the opposite direction without thinking. He kept on pedalling till he came to a large ground.

It was the Rameela Maidan, where a circus was being held. He stopped his cycle there.

The first show was to start at 1pm. Manu looked at his watch. It was only 8am.

Going HomePunam Pande


Manu parked his bicycle and looked around uncertainly. Inside, the circus was magnificent. Hundreds of colourful chairs were laid out. On another side of the ground, dozens of tents had been set up. Manu thought that the biggest tent would be the manager’s and walked towards it.

Suddenly someone called out from behind, “Hey! Do you want to book tickets for the entire school?”

Manu turned in surprise and saw a dwarf standing there. He was dressed like a clown and had a bright smile on his face, which made Manu smile too.

Seeing Manu in his school uniform, the dwarf must have thought that Manu had come for an advance booking. Little did he know that Manu had decided to leave his home, school and everything and start working at the circus.

Manu thought it would be a lot of fun to work at the circus every day, and he also would not have to listen to all the scolding at home anymore.

But Manu did not say anything about this to the clown. “Usually the teacher comes to ask about bookings, but some schools send students too,” continued the clown, not realising Manu’s thoughts.

Manu began chatting with the clown, trying to find out about circus life. The clown introduced him to two other performers, Swami and Bhanu.

Chatting with them, Manu found out that Swami and Bhanu’s parents owned a large business. One day, when the two were about Manu’s age, their parents had scolded them for something. The two left home on their bicycles, and decided to join the circus. That was 20 years ago. They now performed motorcycle stunts in the circus.

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Manu was listening to their stories with deep interest. The clown added, “Circus is a lot of hard work and the manager is very strict. We usually practice 16 hours a day!” Seeing Manu’s shocked face, the clown said, “But he’s also a very kind man. He loves us like his children!”

“Many joined the circus joined after running away from home. Gopi, Lalu, Bansi, Makkhan, Kirodi came to our manager for work. He takes care of us all. He even arranges for our education. I am studying while I work here. I will soon complete my post-graduation.”

Swami and Bhanu agreed with the clown, but Manu became thoughtful. He was impressed by the clown’s words about the manager who loved them ‘Like his children’.

As he was thinking about this, he saw a man walking towards them, wearing a badge that said ‘MANAGER’ on it, and was playing with a rope and swinging it around. Manu thought the manager would come up to the group, but saw him turn in another direction.

Just then, the clock struck 11. This was recess time at school. Manu opened his box and shared tiffin with his new friends. When Swami and Bhanu tasted the homemade food, they became emotional, and remembered their mother.

Meanwhile, back in Manu’s house, papa had the day off, and was feeling bad about his words that morning that had

made Manu silent. His father remembered that though Manu was careless about his uniform, he was otherwise a responsible boy. He would wash papa’s bike every Sunday without fail. When ma was away at grandmother’s house, Manu would even make coffee for papa.

Ma too was also feeling bad that she had snapped at Manu in the morning. They sat together, thinking of how to make Manu feel better. “Let’s take him to the circus!” they both said together. They burst out laughing because they both had the same idea at the same time, and had found a good way to make Manu happy.

It was past noon, the time when school closed. Manu rode his cycle back

home from the circus, thinking about his day. How could

he have thought of leaving home? Papa went to great lengths to indulge Manu’s love for

music. He had bought him a guitar and took him

to concerts in the city. Ma gave up her afternoon parties to take him for guitar class every Sunday. And made sure to cook his favourite dishes often. Manu’s eyes filled with tears. How could he think of leaving them because of some small scolding?

Thinking all this, he reached home. Ma and papa were at the gate waiting to greet him. Manu was so happy to see them, but at the same time scared if they had found out that he had bunked school. Keeping silent, he parked his cycle and walked towards them.


His father held out his hand to Manu. There were three tickets to the circus! Manu was shocked. Had his father gone to buy the tickets and seen Manu there? He was sure he was going to get the most severe scolding of his life!

But his parents were quiet, thinking Manu was still upset about what they had said that morning.

Finally, Manu asked, “Dad, did you go in

this heat all the way to Ramleela Maidan to buy tickets?”

Ma and papa were relieved to hear him speak. “No son. Our neighbour Uncle Ashok was going and I asked him to book for us too!”

Manu was glad to hear this. Nobody had seen him in the circus. He went in happily with his parents, and made coffee for all. They all got ready to go the circus. Manu was a little worried that the clown would recognise him, but the crowd was huge, so there was no chance of seeing him.

It was a wonderful evening. Swami and Bhanu performed daredevil acts on their motorcycles, and the clown made everyone laugh till their stomachs hurt.

The family went home happily, and Manu understood that although his parents would scold him, he should never think of running away

58 February (Second) 2020

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FEBRUARY (sEcond) 2020 | 35Champak Creative Child Event 52 EDITORIAL, ADVERTISEMENT & PUBLICATION...

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